spoke to DEC

Hi Bob,
I spoke to a DEC officer a few months ago, the regulations list as any Centerfire rifle. If you are referring to .22 Rimfire, that is correct, you may Not hunt big game with any rimfire. But I specifically inquired about .223 which in my opinion is too small for Deer. The DEC warden confirmed that it is a legal caliber. The .223 is a .22 caliber centerfire round as is the .22 Hornet. The DEC warden was clear in stating that the laws are years behind with big bore airguns.
Duke